August 03, 2012

Summer Squash Soup with Basil Pistou

Summer squash is one of my favorite vegetables, which is lucky since each week's CSA box is filled with them. Last night I made my favorite summer squash soup, which is a Martha Stewart recipe, and is the perfect use of not only summer squash but also fresh basil.

Have you heard of pistou? I had not, so I turned to Wikipedia which says "pistou is a cold sauce made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil. Traditionally, the ingredients are crushed and mixed together in a mortar with a pestle (pistou means pounded in the Provençal language)."

It's similar to pesto, with a bigger basil punch. Even though I love fresh basil, I find that it's easy to add too much pistou. Accordingtly, I think Martha's recipe makes too much pistou for the soup, but I haven't altered the recipe because leftovers are so easy to freeze (just like pesto).

I used sweet onions (in place of a leek) and basil from my box in addition to the summer squash. The ingredient list is short and you can have this soup on the table in about 30 minutes, which makes it an excellent weeknight dinner choice.

Melt butter in a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the leek (or onions) and one minced garlic clove. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring until soft and tender.

Add squash, and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, make the basil pistou by filling the bowl of a food processor with one minced garlic clove and basil. Drizzle olive oil through the feed tube; process until smooth.

After the soup has finished simmering, turn off heat and puree with an immersion blender until soup is slightly chunky. Then, over medium-heat, cook to reduce liquid and thicken just slightly, about 5 minutes.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with basil pistou.

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